2007 Awards

Landscape Architectural Design | Library Green

Merit Award

Library Green
New Rochelle, NY

Thomas Balsley Associates 
www.tbany.com

Library Green is located adjacent to the public library in downtown New Rochelle. The space was formerly an empty lot and the surrounding area was blighted and the target of urban renewal. The timing of the new park coincided with the increasing density of higher-quality housing in the downtown and the need for quality public spaces that would bring 24-hour activity to downtown. The result is a design concept grounded in the philosophy that shared public spaces must be feasible and provide park experience choices in order to sustain their long-term success. A large circular lawn organizes the space and activities by providing perimeter spaces that accommodate the variety of activities: garden beds, social seating, outdoor reading rooms, toddler play areas, café terrace, and a café kiosk anchored at the prime corner. A diagonal walk bisects the lawn and forms a direct path between the rail station and the retail corridor one block away. Library Green has changed this small suburban city's sense of pride and its downtown image. Once again, landscape architects have demonstrated ways to preserve our environment by investing energy and creativity into downtown pedestrian living as a viable alternative to more suburban sprawl into our forests, fields, and wetlands.